Water light - updated

[adamukcorrado 0]

I have had my current corrado 3 years now and the water level warning light has flashed as long as i have had it! I have changed expansion tank several times and checked all visible plugs and connections.

 

I'm not worried about the water level as i have replaced the entire cooling system with new VAG parts within the the last 500 miles, and i have only ever used proper coolant from vw.

 

My old mechanic has also briefly looked and couldn't find any problem.

 

The car is a VR6 conversion (from before i bought it) and the bloke that did it was clearly a tw*t, so i suspect that the light hasn't been connected properly in the dash, tommorrow i'm going to take the clocks out to try and find any faults, but i thought i would check if anyone had any suggestions??

[KipVR 1]

Check the water temp sender, mounted by the thermostat housing above and to the right of the oil fiter housing. Get some spares and swap them over, cheap to buy and a good first place to look......

[adamukcorrado 0]

The engine temp stays at a sensible constant level and the fans come on when needed, so the temp sender must be ok ? (or are there multiple temp senders?)

[12 DEG BEN 0]

Might be pointing out the obvious but you are using a vr expansion tank and not the early car one. Vr tanks are much bigger. I used a smaller round one for a while and it would spit water out when you turn the engine off. Then when you start up again the level would be to low and the light would come on.

[adamukcorrado 0]

Thats interesting, I hadn't realised there was a difference in expansion tanks, however the car never uses any coolant and the level remains correct within the tank.

[adamukcorrado 0]

Any other ideas or suggestions to check? didn't get round to working on the car this weekend as it didn't stop raining!

[adamukcorrado 0]

Finally got the chance to go and explore the problem further today,

 

The plug on the expansion tank has 0.25v on one pin and nothing on other (pressumable earth) if you earth across the pins the light still flashes (i would of thought that completing the circuit would turn the warning light off?)

 

Also, attaching the voltmeter across the pins reads nothing but attaching it between the live pin and the battery earth reads a current. Therefore the earth connection on the plug is broken?? which is why the warning light is flashing?

 

am i thinking along the correct lines??

[adamukcorrado 0]

bump!! any ideas?

[adamukcorrado 0]

Anyone?? :(

[Jim 2]

Does your water light go off if you restart the car once its fully up to temperature? I suffer from flashing coolant light but if I restart the car once its totally warmed up, it stops bothering me!

[adamukcorrado 0]

Nope, carries on flashing!

[mattkh 0]

Hi

Check the relay.

[VeeDub Geezer 0]

Hi

Check the relay.

 

care to elabrorate on which one? :lol:

[mattkh 0]

care to elabrorate on which one? :lol:

Hi

Now that is tricky.

Is the fusebox from a VR6 or from a 16Valver and which year ?

[easypops 8]

I have looked at Autodata and is says its relay number 5 on early and late models 16v and vr6

[Jim 2]

There isn't a relay number 5 on later cars - I believe the coolant relay was only there for early cars! I think the flashing light control was done through the clocks....

 

Are you using VR6 clocks on your conversion or just the 16v ones?

[adamukcorrado 0]

Excellent, i have a full compliment of spare relay's so i'll stick one in and try, probably won't be until the weekend tho.

If the relay is duff would other lights and sensors not be working? or is that relay solely for the warning light? as i mentioned previously the temp gauge works fine and the fans come on as required,

[adamukcorrado 0]

I'm using VR6 clocks,